I went to the range last night with my new ar40(.40S&W). It was having feeding issues so I only got about 20 rounds or so down range. After a while it refused to chamber a new round so I cleared it and shot the other gun i brought for a bit. Bear in mind, it had some feeding issues, but every round that fed fired as usual. No unusual noises or recoil impulses. When i was done shooting i looked down at the bench i noticed this piece of brass that looked like it had been cut in half. When I got home I found the other half in the chamber of my ar40. Have you guys ever seen anything like this? What can cause this? Nobody I've shown has ever seen anything like it before. It was federal american eagle 180gr fmj.
Torn Brass
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I wouldn't be concerned if it happened only once. It may be nothing more than a faulty piece of brass.
mckenney99
Member
Right off the top of my head, could be a couple possible causes.
Simplest cause, a bad case that simply separated. How did the other fired brass look?
You could have a chamber that has excess headspace and the case is stretching beyond it's ability to fill the excess headspace.
If your AR40 is a simple blowback operation, perhaps it's operation could benefit from a slightly heavier buffer that retards reward movement of the bolt slightly longer.
Simplest cause, a bad case that simply separated. How did the other fired brass look?
You could have a chamber that has excess headspace and the case is stretching beyond it's ability to fill the excess headspace.
If your AR40 is a simple blowback operation, perhaps it's operation could benefit from a slightly heavier buffer that retards reward movement of the bolt slightly longer.
OP
Just one
Yeah it was just one case that did this. I'll try to find an adjustable buffer since I'm just running an h3. Maybe it was just a faulty piece of brass, but the gun could still use the help cycling anyway.
Yeah it was just one case that did this. I'll try to find an adjustable buffer since I'm just running an h3. Maybe it was just a faulty piece of brass, but the gun could still use the help cycling anyway.
The high ranking Officers that I knew and played four wall paddleball with, while an NCO in the '60s, I told them that their skills needed improvement and described their playing
as being "Half Brassed".
They had a sense of humor as well as being excellent in their flying chores.
SAC 4017CCTS
Back on topic, have never had the problem the OP described.
Thx for the drift OP.
Added the "Br" to hopefully comply with forum rules.
as being "Half Brassed".
They had a sense of humor as well as being excellent in their flying chores.
SAC 4017CCTS
Back on topic, have never had the problem the OP described.
Thx for the drift OP.
Added the "Br" to hopefully comply with forum rules.
Last edited:
mckenney99
Member
I've used the KAK Industries Adjustable buffer on a Colt 9mm AR and it helped smooth out the cycling.
9MM AR15 Configurable Buffer Kit - KAK INDUSTRY
KAK 9MM AR15 CONFIGURABLE BUFFER KIT
9MM AR15 Configurable Buffer Kit - KAK INDUSTRY
KAK 9MM AR15 CONFIGURABLE BUFFER KIT
Alk8944
US Veteran
It's called a head separation. This can result from excessive headspace, although very rarely in straight-walled pistol ammunition. If it was factory ammunition it is a defective case. If a re-load it has been loaded too many times.
Absolutely nothing to be concerned about unless you are carrying that ammunition for defensive purposes as it can cause a stoppage as you experienced. From the concern I would venture you are a relatively new shooter!
I had that happen to me just one time, a long time ago,
when I was shooting winchester factory ammo in my 686, 6"
with 357 Magnum ammo.
Everything felt ok but I did notice the problem when I went to unload.
The front half, finally came out, after a few tries, with my knife.
when I was shooting winchester factory ammo in my 686, 6"
with 357 Magnum ammo.
Everything felt ok but I did notice the problem when I went to unload.
The front half, finally came out, after a few tries, with my knife.
gwpercle
Member
It's called "case separation" or "head separation" ... see how the head separates from the rest of the case !
Usually seen in reloads ...case reloaded too many times and more often seen in rifle cases .
If this was a factory round ... the brass was defective , formed a weak place during manufacture ... happens not too often .
Gary
Usually seen in reloads ...case reloaded too many times and more often seen in rifle cases .
If this was a factory round ... the brass was defective , formed a weak place during manufacture ... happens not too often .
Gary
OP
OP
New shooter
Relatively new yeah. I've only been shooting since my buddy first brought me out in 2020. Really took to it though and have amassed a decent collection and shot probably 15k rounds or so since then(rifle and pistol), but had never seen this prior to that range trip. I am still trying to learn new things every day, especially how to diagnose failures.
I purchased the KAK configurable buffer and will start experimenting with it, but I feel like there is another problem with this gun. Half of the time, maybe more ,when I release the bolt and it goes forward, the bullet goes up and hits the breech face instead of going directly into the chamber. Other times the round feeds into the chamber normally. I am using oem glock magazines that function flawlessly in my p80 glock 35, an ar9/40 aero precision lower, and a new frontier armory pre assembled upper(16" bbl). Oddly my .50beo ar experiences the same symptom, and that's the only other upper I bought preassembled. Any idea what else could cause these issues? With the .50 I've used a pmag with a 3d printed follower and I've used one of only two dedicated .50beowulf mags I could find, otherwise, milspec lower parts(also tried an h3 buffer).
It's called a head separation. This can result from excessive headspace, although very rarely in straight-walled pistol ammunition. If it was factory ammunition it is a defective case. If a re-load it has been loaded too many times.
Absolutely nothing to be concerned about unless you are carrying that ammunition for defensive purposes as it can cause a stoppage as you experienced. From the concern I would venture you are a relatively new shooter!
Relatively new yeah. I've only been shooting since my buddy first brought me out in 2020. Really took to it though and have amassed a decent collection and shot probably 15k rounds or so since then(rifle and pistol), but had never seen this prior to that range trip. I am still trying to learn new things every day, especially how to diagnose failures.
I purchased the KAK configurable buffer and will start experimenting with it, but I feel like there is another problem with this gun. Half of the time, maybe more ,when I release the bolt and it goes forward, the bullet goes up and hits the breech face instead of going directly into the chamber. Other times the round feeds into the chamber normally. I am using oem glock magazines that function flawlessly in my p80 glock 35, an ar9/40 aero precision lower, and a new frontier armory pre assembled upper(16" bbl). Oddly my .50beo ar experiences the same symptom, and that's the only other upper I bought preassembled. Any idea what else could cause these issues? With the .50 I've used a pmag with a 3d printed follower and I've used one of only two dedicated .50beowulf mags I could find, otherwise, milspec lower parts(also tried an h3 buffer).
